City and Regional Planning

University of California, Berkeley

This is an archived copy of the 2014-15 guide. To access the most recent version of the guide, please visit http://guide.berkeley.edu/.

Overview

The mission of the Department of City and Regional Planning is to improve equity, the economy and the environment in neighborhoods, communities, cities, and metropolitan regions by creating knowledge and engagement through teaching, research and service. The Department aims to design and create cities, infrastructure, and public services that are sustainable, affordable, enjoyable, and accessible to all.

Wisely and successfully intervening in the public realm, whether locally, nationally, or globally, is a challenge. The urban future is complex and rapidly changing. Resource scarcity and conflict, technological innovation, retrofitting of existing built environments, and social empowerment will alter the ways in which planning has conventionally been carried out.

The undergraduate and graduate programs, as well as faculty research and community service activities, address social justice, equity, and ethics; innovative means of public participation, collective decision making, and advocacy; and ways to reform institutions, urban governance, policy and planning practices.  Faculty research harnesses the latest methods and data, ranging from ethnography to sophisticated 3-D simulations and visualization. Their expertise is diverse, and includes sustainable transportation and land use, economic development, urban health and social policy, environmental assessment and sustainability, global urbanization and poverty, and urban design for livable places. The collective goal is to create cities, infrastructure, and public services that are sustainable, affordable, healthy, and accessible to all.

Lecture Series

The Department of City and Regional Planning sponsors lecture series, which offers students the opportunity to hear internationally-acclaimed speakers. These speakers often also participate in classes and seminars as part of their visit to campus. For a schedule of speakers and events in this lecture series, please see the College of Environmental Design website .

Undergraduate Programs

Urban Studies : BA
City Planning : Minor
Geospatial Information Science and Technology :  Minor (offered in conjunction with the College of Natural Resources)

Graduate Programs

City and Regional Planning : PhD
Master of City Planning : MCP

Visit Department Website

Courses

City and Regional Planning

CY PLAN 97 Field Studies in City and Regional Planning 1 - 3 Units

Supervised experiences in the study of off-campus organizations relevant to specific aspects of city planning. Regular individual meetings with faculty sponsor and written report required.

CY PLAN 98 Special Group Study 1 - 3 Units

Group studies developed to meet specific needs of students.

CY PLAN 110 Introduction to City Planning 4 Units

Survey of city planning as it has evolved in the United States since 1800 in response to physical, social, and economic problems; major concepts and procedures used by city planners and local governments to improve the urban environment.

CY PLAN 111 Introduction to Housing: An International Survey 3 Units

Housing problems, government housing policy, and housing as a field of urban planning practice. Emphasis on critical International Issues in the Third World and the United States.

CY PLAN 113A Economic Analysis for Planning 3 Units

Introduction to economic concepts and thinking as used in planning. Micro-economic theory is reviewed and critiqued.

CY PLAN 113B Community and Economic Development 3 Units

Introduction to political, economic and social issues involved in theory and practice of community economic development. Focus on national economic and social policies, role of local community economic development corporations (CDCs), resolution of conflicts between private-sector profitability and public sector (community) accountability through critical use of the planning process.

CY PLAN 114 Introduction to Urban and Regional Transportation 3 Units

This course is designed to introduce students to the characteristics of urban transportation systems, the methods through which they are planned and analyzed, and the dimensions of key policy issues confronting decision makers.

CY PLAN 115 Urbanization in Developing Countries 4 Units

The course covers issues of development and urbanization from the era of colonialism to the era of contemporary globalization. Themes include modernization, urban informality and poverty, transnational economies, and the role of international institutions and agencies.

CY PLAN N115 Urbanization in Developing Countries 3 Units

The course covers issues of development and urbanization from the era of colonialism to the era of contemporary globalization. Themes include modernization, urban informality and poverty, transnational economies, and the role of international institutions and agencies.

CY PLAN 116 Urban Planning Process--The Undergraduate Planning Studio 4 Units

An intermediate course in the planning process with practicum in using planning techniques. Classes typically work on developing an area or other community plan. Some lectures, extensive field and group work, oral and written presentations of findings.

CY PLAN 118AC The Urban Community 4 Units

This course looks at the idea and practice of community in cities and suburbs and at the dynamics of neighborhood and community formation. Topics include urban social geography, ethnicity, and identity, residential choice behavior, the political economy of neighborhoods, planning for neighborhoods and civic engagement. Instructors emphasize different topics. Class size limits depend on the instructor.

CY PLAN 119 Planning for Sustainability 3 Units

This course examines how the concept of sustainable development applies to cities and urban regions and gives students insight into a variety of contemporary urban planning issues through the sustainability lens. The course combines lectures, discussions, student projects, and guest appearances by leading practitioners in Bay Area sustainability efforts. Ways to coordinate goals of environment, economy, and equity at different scales of planning are addressed, including the region, the city, the neighborhood, and the site.

CY PLAN 120 Community Planning and Public Policy for Disability 3 Units

This course reviews what society and local communities can do in terms of policies, programs, and local planning to address the needs of citizens with disabilities. Attention will be given to the economics of disability, to the politics of producing change, and to transportation, housing, public facilities, independent living, employment, and income policies. Options will be assessed from the varying perspectives of those with disabilities and the broader society.

CY PLAN C139 Urban and Sub-national Politics in Developing Countries 4 Units

Over half of the world's population is now urban. As urban populations swell, metropolitan areas in both the developed and the developing world struggle to provide basic services and address the negative externalities associated with rapid growth. Sanitation, transportation, pollution, energy services, and public safety typically fall to sub-national governments. Yet local sub-national institutions face difficulties as they tackle these challenges because development tends to spill over political boundaries and resources are limited. Such difficulties are particularly acute in the developing world due to tighter resource constraints, weak institutions, and the comparative severity of the underlying problems. Moreover, democratization and decentralization suggest that urban governance and service delivery may have become more democratic, but present challenges with respect to priority setting, coordination, and corruption.

CY PLAN 140 Urban Design: City-Building and Place-Making 3 Units

The course is concerned with the multidisciplinary field and practice of urban design. It includes a review of historical approaches to urban design and current movements in the field, as well as discussion of the elements of urban form, theories of good city form, scales of urban design, implementation approaches, and challenges and opportunities for the discipline. Learning from cities via fieldwork is an integral part of the course.

CY PLAN 180 Research Seminar in Urban Studies 3 Units

A capstone course for urban studies majors; open to other majors by instructor approval. Topical focus varies by semester. The course involves student production of a high-quality research report from inception to completion. Lectures introduce a range of research skills typical in urban studies, and cover specific domain knowledge necessary for the completion of the research project. Students identify a research topic subject to instructor approval and prepare a formal research proposal, undertaking the analysis specified in the proposal, making public presentations of their findings, and producing a professional-quality research report.




CY PLAN 190 Advanced Topics in Urban Studies 1 - 4 Units

Analysis of selected topics in urban studies. Topics vary by semester.

CY PLAN 197 Field Studies 1 - 3 Units

Supervised experiences in the study of off-campus organizations relevant to specific aspects of city planning. Regular individual meetings with faculty sponsor and a written report are required.

CY PLAN 198 Special Group Study 1 - 3 Units

Group studies developed to meet specific needs of students.

CY PLAN 199 Special Study for Advanced Undergraduates 1 - 4 Units

Regular meetings with faculty overseer.

CY PLAN 200 History of City Planning 3 Units

The history of city planning and the city planning profession in the context of urban history. Principal focus on the evolution of North American planning practice and theory since the late 19th century; some comparative and earlier material.

CY PLAN 201A Planning Methods Gateway: Part I 4 Units

Two-semester course sequence that introduces first-year students in the Master of City Planning (MCP) program to a suite of data collection, data analysis, problem solving, and presentation methods that are essential for practicing planners. 201A focuses on supporting integrated problem solving, using a case-based approach to introduce methods in sequenced building-blocks. 201B prepares MCP students for more advanced courses in statistics, GIS, observation, qualitative methods, survey methods, and public participation.

CY PLAN 201B Planning Methods Gateway: Part II 4 Units

Second course in two-semester course sequence that introduces first-year students in the Master of City Planning (MCP) program to a suite of data collection, data analysis, problem solving, and presentation methods that are essential for practicing planners. 201B prepares MCP students for more advanced courses in statistics, GIS, observation, qualitative methods, survey methods, and public participation.

CY PLAN 202 Practice Gateway: Introduction to Planning Practice 3 Units

Using challenging real-world cases, this course introduces first year MCP students to the persistent dilemmas, the power and limits of planning action, the multiple roles in which planners find themselves in communities around the globe, and the political and other constraints that planners face as they try to be effective, and the key issues facing planning practice. In all these ways, our focus is on planning action, not the history of urban development or urban social theory, though we will explore the ways in which planning ideals and cities have shaped each other as society evolves.

CY PLAN 204B Analytic and Research Methods for Planners: Research Methods for Planners 2 or 4 Units

Research methods for planning, including problem definition, observation, key informant interviewing, causal modeling, survey design and overall design of research, as well as memorandum writing and presentation skills. Students work in teams with clients on actual research problems and learn professional skills as well as practical ways of conducting usable research. With permission of the instructor, students who wish to complete only half of the assignments for their individual research may take the course for 2 units.

CY PLAN 204C Analytic and Research Methods for Planners: Introduction to GIS and City Planning 4 Units

Introduction to the principles and practical uses of Geographic Information Systems (GIS). This course is intended for graduate students with exposure to using spreadsheets and database programs for urban and natural resource analysis, and who wish to expand their knowledge to include basic GIS concepts and applications. Prior GIS or desktop mapping experience not required.

CY PLAN 204D Analytic and Research Methods for Planners: Multivariate Analysis in Planning 4 Units

Theory and application of advanced multivariate methods in planning. Emphasis on causal modeling of cross-sectional data. Topics include: multiple regression analysis; residual analysis; weighted least squares; non-linear models; path analysis; log-linear models; logit and probit analysis; principal components; factor and cluster analysis. Completion of two computer assignments, using several microcomputer statistical packages, is required.

CY PLAN 205 Introduction to Planning and Environmental Law 3 Units

An introduction to the American legal process and legal framework within which public policy and planning problems are addressed. The course stresses legal methodology, the basics of legal research, and the common-law decisional method. Statutory analysis, administrative law, and constitutional interpretation are also covered. Case topics focus on the law of planning, property rights, land use regulation, and access to housing.

CY PLAN 207 Land and Housing Market Economics 3 Units

Using microeconomics as its platform, course explores the process and pattern of land utilization from a variety of perspectives: the neighborhood, the city, and the metropolis. The approach blends real estate, descriptive urban geography, and urban history with economics.

CY PLAN 208 Plan Preparation Studio 5 Units

An introductory laboratory experience in urban plan preparation, including the use of graphic communication techniques appropriate to city planning and invoking individual effort and that of collaborative student groups in formulating planning policies and programs for an urban area. Occasional Friday meetings are required.

CY PLAN C213 Transportation and Land Use Planning 3 Units

Examination of the interactions between transportation and land use systems; historical perspectives on transportation; characteristics of travel and demand estimation; evaluation of system performance; location theory; models of transportation and urban structure; empirical evidence of transportation-land use impacts; case study examinations.

CY PLAN C217 Transportation Policy and Planning 3 Units

Policy issues in urban transportation planning; measuring the performance of transportation systems; the transportation policy formulation process; transportation finance, pricing, and subsidy issues; energy and air quality in transportation; specialized transportation for elderly and disabled people; innovations in transportation policy.

CY PLAN 218 Transportation Planning Studio 4 Units

Studio on applying skills of urban transportation planning. Topics vary, focusing on specific urban sites and multi-modal issues, including those related to planning for mass transit and other alternatives to the private automobile. Recent emphasis given to planning and designing for transit villages and transit-based housing.

CY PLAN 219 Comparative International Topics in Transportation 3 Units

Covers comparative planning and policy topics in urban, regional, and rural transportation that are transnational in nature. Builds policy lessons on planning for mobility, accessibility, and sustainability in different political and contextual settings. Case studies are drawn from both developed and developing countries.

CY PLAN 220 The Urban and Regional Economy 3 Units

Analysis of the urban, metropolitan, and regional economy for planning. Economic base and other macro models; impact analysis and projection of changing labor force and industrial structure; economic-demographic interaction; issues in growth, income distribution, planning controls; interregional growth and population distribution issues.

CY PLAN 223 Economic Development Planning 3 Units

Strategy and tools for developing employment attracting investment and improving the standard of living in regional, state, and local economies. Organization of economic development activities, with a focus on current practices.

CY PLAN 228 Research Workshop on Metropolitan Regional Planning 4 Units

Field problem in major phases of metropolitan or regional planning work. A collaborative student-group effort in formulating policy or plan recommendations within specific governmental framework.

CY PLAN 230 U.S. Housing, Planning, and Policy 3 Units

Theory of housing markets and empirical methods for measuring market conditions and performance: housing consumption, housing supply and production, and market performance. Empirical analysis and applications to policy issues.

CY PLAN 231 Housing in Developing Countries 3 Units

This course covers issues of housing policy and housing form in the urbanizing developing world from a comparative and cross-cultural perspective. Using case studies from Latin America, Asia, and the Middle East, it highlights the role of physical planners as community activists involved in practices like squatter development slum upgrading, sites and services, and self-help.

CY PLAN 238 Development--Design Studio 4 Units

Studio experience in analysis, policy advising, and project design or general plan preparation for urban communities undergoing development, with a focus on site development and project planning.

CY PLAN C240 Theories of Urban Form and Design 3 Units

Theories and patterns of urban form throughout history are studied with emphasis on the role of planning and design in shaping cities and the relationship between urban form and social, economic, and geographic factors. Using a case study approach, cities are evaluated in terms of various theories and performance dimensions.

CY PLAN C241 Research Methods in Environmental Design 4 Units

The components, structure, and meaning of the urban environment. Environmental problems, attitudes, and criteria. Environmental survey, analysis, and interview techniques. Methods of addressing environmental quality. Environmental simulation.

CY PLAN 248 Advanced Studio: Urban Design/Environmental Planning 5 Units

Advanced problems in urban design and land use, and in environmental planning. Occasional Friday meetings are required.

CY PLAN 249 Urban Design in Planning 3 Units

This seminar will focus on urban design in the planning process, the role of environmental surveys, methods of community involvement, problem identification, goal formulation and alternatives generation, environmental media and presentation, design guidelines and review, environmental evaluation and impact assessment. Case studies.

CY PLAN C251 Environmental Planning and Regulation 3 Units

This course will examine emerging trends in environmental planning and policy and the basic regulatory framework for environmental planning encountered in the U.S. We will also relate the institutional and policy framework of California and the United States to other nations and emerging international institutions. The emphasis of the course will be on regulating "residuals" as they affect three media: air, water, and land.

CY PLAN 252 Land Use Controls 3 Units

An advanced course in implementation of land use and environmental controls. The theory, practice and impacts of zoning, growth management, land banking, development systems, and other techniques of land use control. Objective is to acquaint student with a range of regulatory techniques and the legal, administrative-political equity aspects of their implementation.

CY PLAN 254 Sustainable Communities 3 Units

This course examines and explores the concept of sustainable development at the community level. The course has three sections: (1) an introduction to the discourse on sustainable development; (2) an exploration of several leading attempts to incorporate sustainability principles into plans, planning, and urban design; (3) a comparative examination of several attempts to modify urban form and address the multiple goals (social, economic, environmental) of sustainable urbanism.

CY PLAN 255 Urban Planning Applications of Geographic Information Systems 3 Units

This course introduces students to the relatively new and rapidly expanding field of Geographical Information Systems (GIS). The course focuses on GIS and its application to both city and regional problems in the San Francisco Bay Area and offers students a toolkit for integrating spatial information into planning solutions. The laboratory sessions will mainly employ a vector model to solving problems. Topics include problem identification, data discovery, database design, construction, modeling, and analytical measurement.

CY PLAN C256 Healthy Cities 3 Units

Exploration of common origins of urban planning and public health, from why and how the fields separated and strategies to reconnect them, to addressing urban health inequities in the 21st century. Inquiry to influences of urban population health, analysis of determinants, and roles that city planning and public health agencies - at local and international level - have in research, and action aimed at improving urban health. Measures, analysis, and design of policy strategies are explored.

CY PLAN 260 Theory, History, and Practice of Community Development 3 Units

This course will explore the theory, history, methods, and practice of local community development. The course will begin by examining the historical roots of community involvement and action. It will present alternative explanations for different paths of neighborhood and community change.

CY PLAN C261 Citizen Involvement in the City Planning Process 3 Units

An examination of the roles of the citizens and citizen organizations in the city planning process. Models for citizen involvement ranging from advising to community control. Examination of the effectiveness of different organizational models in different situations.

CY PLAN 268 Community Development Studio/Workshop 4 Units

Studio experience in analysis, policy advising, and implementation in an urban setting. Students will engage in group work for real clients (e.g., community-based organizations or local government agencies), culminating in a final report or proposal.

CY PLAN 271 Development Theories and Practices 3 Units

This course covers the theory and praxis of international development. It studies the project of development, from its Cold War launching to its metamorphosis into the current era of economic globalization and liberalization. And it examines the theoretical models and discursive debates that have accompanied each phase, including the recent critiques put forth by feminism and postcolonialism. The course also locates development in the industrialized world, "here" rather than "elsewhere," thereby unsettling the normalized hierarchy of First and Third Worlds.

CY PLAN 275 Comparative Analysis of Urban Policies 3 Units

Description, analysis, and evaluation of urban policies in a variety of social and spatial contexts, with references to state-planned societies. Main topics: national and local public policies in regional development, housing, transportation, urban renewal, citizen participation, social services, and decentralized urban management.

CY PLAN 280A Doctoral Seminars: Research Design for the Ph.D 3 Units

This course is designed for students working on their dissertation research plan and prospectus. Weekly writing assignments designed to work through each step of writing the prospectus from problem framing and theoretical framework to methodology. At least one oral presentation to the class is required of all students.

CY PLAN 280C Doctoral Seminars: Doctoral Colloquium 2 Units

Presentation and discussion of research by Ph.D. students and faculty.

CY PLAN 281 Theories of Planning Practice 3 Units

Focuses on theory and practice of planning, with emphasis on the role of different types of knowledge in different kinds of practice. Compares positivist, interpretive, and critical theory views of knowledge and links these to policy analysis, interactive planning, group processes, and emerging models of critical planning practice.

CY PLAN 290 Topics in City and Metropolitan Planning 1 - 3 Units

Analysis of selected topics in city and metropolitan planning with emphasis on implications for planning practice and urban policy formation. In some semesters, optional five-week, 1-unit modules may be offered, taking advantage of guest visitors. Check department for modules at start of semester.

CY PLAN 291 Special Projects Studio in Planning 4 - 6 Units

Studio on special projects in planning. Topics vary by semester.

CY PLAN 295 Supervised Research in City and Regional Planning 1 - 2 Units

Supervised experience on a research project in urban or regional planning. Any combination of 295, 297 courses may be taken for a total of 6 units maximum towards the M.C.P. degree.

CY PLAN 297 Supervised Field Study in City and Regional Planning 1 - 2 Units

Supervised experience relative to specific aspects of practice in city or regional planning. Any combination of 295, 297 courses may be taken for a total of 6 units maximum toward the M.C.P. degree. A maximum of 3 units of 297 can be used for degree requirements.

CY PLAN 298 Group Studies 1 - 3 Units

Topics to be announced at beginning of each semester. No more than 3 units may be taken in one section.

CY PLAN 299 Individual Study or Research 1 - 12 Units

Individual study or research program; must be worked out with instructor in advance of signing up for credits. Maximum number of individual study units (295, 297, 299) counted toward the M.C.P. degree credits is 9.

CY PLAN N299 Individual Study or Research 1 - 6 Units

Individual study or research program; must be worked out with instructor in advance of signing up for credits. Maximum number of individual study credits counted toward the MCP degree is 9.

CY PLAN 375 Supervised Teaching in City and Regional Planning 1 - 2 Units

Supervised teaching experience in courses related to planning. Course may not be applied toward the M.C.P. degree.

CY PLAN 602 Individual Study for Doctoral Students 1 - 8 Units

Individual study in consultation with the major field adviser, intended to provide an opportunity for qualified students to prepare themselves for the various examinations required of candidates for the Ph.D. May not be used for unit or residence requirements for the doctoral degree. Students may earn 1-8 units of 602 per semester or 1-4 units per summer session. No student may accumulate more than a total of 16 units of 602.

Faculty

Professors

Nezar Alsayyad, Professor. Virtual reality, urban history, Architectural history, Middle Eastern Studies, cross-cultural design, cities and cinema, cultural studies of the built environment, environmental design in developing countries, housing and urban development, Islamic architecture and urbanism, traditional dwelling and settlements, urban design and physical planning.
Research Profile

Peter C. Bosselmann, Professor. Urban design, architecture, city and regional planning, landscape architecture.
Research Profile

Teresa Caldeira, Professor.

Elizabeth A. Deakin, Professor. Urban design, city and regional planning, transportation policy, planning and analysis, land use policy and planning; legal and regulatory issues, institutions and organizations, energy and the environment, new technologies.
Research Profile

Michael James Dear, Professor. Social theory, disability studies, urban theory, comparative urbanism.
Research Profile

Ananya Roy, PhD, Professor. Social theory, city and regional planning, comparative urban studies, international development.
Research Profile

Paul Waddell, Professor. UrbanSim, land use models, transportation models, urban sustainability.
Research Profile

Jennifer R Wolch, PhD, Professor.

Associate Professors

Karen Chapple, Associate Professor. Poverty, economic development, information technology, social networks, metropolitan planning, metropolitan spatial patterns, labor markets, community development, neighborhood change, upward mobility.
Research Profile

Jason Corburn, Associate Professor.

Elizabeth S. Macdonald, Associate Professor. Urban design.
Research Profile

Assistant Professors

Charisma S. Acey, Assistant Professor.

Malo Andre Hutson, PhD, Assistant Professor. Urban and regional planning, community development, urban policy, population health.
Research Profile

Adjunct Faculty

Frederick M Etzel, Adjunct Faculty. Land use planning and regulation.
Research Profile

Contact Information

Department of City and Regional Planning

202 Wurster Hall

Phone: 510-642-3256

Visit Department Website

Department Chair

Paul Waddell, PhD

228 Wurster Hall

Phone: 510-642-3257

dcrpchair@berkeley.edu

Undergraduate Major Chair

TBD

Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies

Renee Chow, M.Arch, SBAD

366 Wurster Hal

rychow@berkeley.edu

Director, Office of Undergraduate Advising

Susan Hagstrom

250 Wurster Hall

Phone: 510-642-0408

hagstrom@berkeley.edu

Urban Studies Major Adviser

Omar Ramirez

250 Wurster Hall

Phone: 510-642-0926

oramirez@berkeley.edu

College Evaluator

Lauren Worrell

250 Wurster Hall

Phone: 510-642-0928

worrell@berkeley.edu

Graduate Student Affairs Officer

Clayton Hall

228C Wurster Hall

Phone: 510-642-3258

clayh@berkeley.edu

Graduate Student Affairs Officer

Kathleen Pera

226 Wurster Hall

Phone: 510-643-9440

kpera@berkeley.edu

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